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Quizzes > Science > Chemistry

Atomic Structure Quiz: Test Your Chemistry Skills

Ready for a periodic table quiz challenge? Dive into atomic orbitals now!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
paper art illustration atoms with electrons orbiting a nucleus periodic icons on coral background atomic structure quiz

This atomic structure quiz helps you check what you know about atoms - electron configurations, subatomic particles, atomic numbers, and periodic trends. Work through quick questions to spot gaps before a chemistry exam and pick up handy tips as you go. Want more? Try a deeper quiz on atomic theory .

Which subatomic particle carries a negative charge?
Alpha particle
Neutron
Proton
Electron
Electrons are fundamental particles that carry a single negative charge and orbit the nucleus of an atom. Protons carry a positive charge, and neutrons are neutral. Alpha particles are composed of two protons and two neutrons and thus have a positive charge. For more details, see .
Which subatomic particle has no electric charge?
Positron
Neutron
Electron
Proton
Neutrons are uncharged particles found in the nucleus of an atom. Unlike electrons (negative) and protons (positive), neutrons carry no electric charge. Positrons are the antimatter counterparts of electrons and carry a positive charge. Learn more at .
What does the atomic number of an element represent?
The number of electrons in a neutral atom
The number of neutrons in the nucleus
The number of protons in the nucleus
The total number of protons and neutrons
The atomic number defines how many protons are in an atom's nucleus and uniquely identifies each element. In a neutral atom, this also equals the number of electrons. The total of protons and neutrons is the mass number, not the atomic number. See more at .
What is the name given to atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei?
Molecules
Isomers
Ions
Isotopes
Isotopes are atoms of the same element that differ only in their neutron count, giving them different mass numbers. Isomers are different structural forms of a molecule, and ions carry net charge by losing or gaining electrons. More information is available at .
What is the central part of an atom called?
Nucleus
Orbital
Proton shell
Electron cloud
The nucleus is the dense, central region of an atom containing protons and neutrons. Electrons move around the nucleus in orbitals or electron clouds. There is no structure known as a 'proton shell.' Read more at .
Which particle resides in the nucleus and has a positive charge?
Electron
Proton
Neutron
Positron
Protons are positively charged particles found in the nucleus of an atom. Neutrons are neutral, and electrons are outside the nucleus carrying a negative charge. Positrons are antimatter equivalents of electrons and are not constituents of a normal atom. For details, see .
Which term describes the weighted average mass of all the isotopes of an element?
Mass number
Atomic number
Atomic mass
Ionization energy
Atomic mass (or atomic weight) is the weighted average of all naturally occurring isotopes of an element based on their abundance. The mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons in a specific isotope. Read more at .
Which quantum number indicates the principal energy level of an electron in an atom?
Spin quantum number
Azimuthal quantum number
Principal quantum number
Magnetic quantum number
The principal quantum number (n) designates the main energy level or shell that an electron occupies. The azimuthal (l), magnetic (m_l), and spin (m_s) quantum numbers describe the shape, orientation, and spin of that orbital. Learn more at .
According to the Aufbau principle, electrons fill orbitals in order of increasing what?
Spin
Electronegativity
Energy
Atomic radius
The Aufbau principle states that electrons occupy the lowest available energy orbitals before filling higher ones. Atomic radius and electronegativity are periodic trends, and spin does not order orbital filling. For more, see .
What does the Pauli exclusion principle state?
Electrons fill the lowest energy orbitals first
No two electrons in an atom can have the same set of four quantum numbers
An electron's spin can be only +1 or -1
Orbitals of equal energy fill singly before pairing
The Pauli exclusion principle asserts that two electrons in the same atom cannot share the same four quantum numbers (n, l, m_l, m_s). This rule explains electron pairing and orbital occupancy limits. See for more.
According to Hund's rule, how do electrons occupy degenerate orbitals?
In order of increasing magnetic quantum number
Randomly, regardless of spin
Singly with parallel spins before pairing
Paired with opposite spins first
Hund's rule states that electrons occupy degenerate orbitals singly and with parallel spins to minimize electron-electron repulsion. Only after each orbital has one electron do they pair up. More details at .
What is the ground-state electron configuration of oxygen (Z=8)?
1s² 2s¹ 2p?
1s² 2s² 2p?
1s² 2s² 2p?
1s² 2s² 2p³
Oxygen has eight electrons that fill orbitals as 1s² 2s² 2p?. The 2p subshell can hold up to six electrons, so oxygen's configuration leaves two unpaired electrons in the p orbitals. See .
Which orbital type has a dumbbell shape?
d orbital
f orbital
p orbital
s orbital
p orbitals have two lobes on opposite sides of the nucleus giving them a dumbbell shape. s orbitals are spherical, d orbitals have clover shapes, and f orbitals are more complex. More at .
Across a period from left to right, atomic radius generally what?
First increases then decreases
Increases
Stays the same
Decreases
Atomic radius typically decreases across a period due to increasing nuclear charge pulling electrons closer to the nucleus, despite added electrons. The shielding effect does not increase enough to counterbalance the higher positive charge. For reference, see .
Which of the following elements exhibits an electron configuration anomaly in its ground state?
Copper (Cu)
Sodium (Na)
Sulfur (S)
Neon (Ne)
Copper's ground state is [Ar] 4s¹ 3d¹?, not the expected 4s² 3d?, because a filled d-subshell is more stable. Sulfur, neon, and sodium follow the standard Aufbau filling. Learn more at .
What is the electron configuration of Ni³? (Z=28)?
[Ar] 4s¹ 3d?
[Ar] 3d?
[Ar] 3d?
[Ar] 4s² 3d?
Neutral Ni is [Ar] 4s² 3d?. Removing three electrons (two from 4s and one from 3d) yields [Ar] 3d?. Electrons are lost first from the highest principal quantum number orbital. See .
Which trend describes the change in first ionization energy across a period?
It remains constant
It peaks at the noble gases then drops
It generally increases
It generally decreases
First ionization energy generally increases across a period due to stronger effective nuclear charge and smaller atomic radius. Noble gases are exceptions but the overall trend is upward. More at .
Of the following elements, which has the highest electronegativity?
Fluorine (F)
Chlorine (Cl)
Nitrogen (N)
Oxygen (O)
Fluorine is the most electronegative element due to its small size and high effective nuclear charge, which strongly attracts electrons. Oxygen and nitrogen are highly electronegative but less so than fluorine. See .
Effective nuclear charge (Z?????) experienced by an electron is best described as:
The shielding constant alone
The average number of protons felt by the electron
The nuclear charge minus the shielding constant
The total positive charge in the nucleus
Effective nuclear charge is the actual positive charge felt by an electron after accounting for electron-electron repulsion (shielding). It is calculated as Z_eff = Z - S, where S is the shielding constant. Further reading: .
How many angular nodes are present in a 4d orbital?
4
2
1
3
The number of angular nodes equals the azimuthal quantum number l. For a d orbital, l = 2, so there are 2 angular nodes. Radial nodes are counted separately. See .
How many orbitals are there in the f subshell?
3
7
5
9
The f subshell has l = 3, which gives 2l + 1 = 7 magnetic quantum number values, hence seven orbitals. The d subshell has five, p has three, and s has one. Learn more at .
During alpha decay, the atomic number of a radionuclide:
Decreases by 2
Decreases by 4
Remains the same
Increases by 2
Alpha decay emits a helium nucleus (2 protons, 2 neutrons), reducing the parent nucleus's atomic number by 2 and mass number by 4. It does not increase atomic number. For more, see .
How many radial nodes does a 3p orbital have?
2
3
1
0
Radial nodes are given by n - l - 1. For a 3p orbital, n = 3 and l = 1, giving 3 - 1 - 1 = 1 radial node. Angular nodes are counted separately. See .
What is the term symbol for a carbon atom in its ground state (1s² 2s² 2p²)?
¹S?
³P?
²P?/?
¹D?
Carbon's ground state has two unpaired 2p electrons giving a triplet multiplicity (²S+1=3) and an overall term of P with J=0 for the lowest level. Thus the term symbol is ³P?. For more, see .
Which set of quantum numbers is allowed for an electron in an atom according to the Schrödinger equation?
n=1, l=0, m?=0, m?=-1
n=2, l=2, m?=0, m?=-1/2
n=4, l=3, m?=4, m?=+1/2
n=3, l=2, m?=2, m?=+1/2
Valid quantum numbers must satisfy n>0, 0?l
0
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Subatomic Particles -

    Identify and describe the roles, charges, and relative masses of protons, neutrons, and electrons within an atom.

  2. Analyze Electron Configurations -

    Determine and write correct electron configurations for elements using principles like the Aufbau rule, Hund's rule, and the Pauli exclusion principle.

  3. Apply Periodic Table Trends -

    Predict how atomic radius, ionization energy, and electronegativity change across periods and down groups on the periodic table.

  4. Evaluate Atomic Numbers and Isotopes -

    Calculate atomic number, mass number, and identify isotopes based on given nuclear composition data.

  5. Solve Atomic Structure Problems -

    Use practiced quiz questions to reinforce knowledge of atomic orbitals, electron configurations, and periodic trends in real-world scenarios.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Subatomic Particles & Atomic Number -

    Atoms are built from protons, neutrons, and electrons, with the atomic number (Z) denoting the proton count per IUPAC guidelines. Protons (+) and neutrons (0) form the nucleus, and electrons (−) orbit; remember "Please Never Eat" for Proton, Neutron, Electron. Test yourself with atomic number quiz items to connect element identity to proton count.

  2. Electron Configuration Patterns -

    Use the Aufbau principle, Pauli exclusion, and Hund's rule to assign electrons in orbitals; for example, oxygen is 1s2 2s2 2p4. A handy mnemonic for orbital order is "Some People Drink Champagne" (s, p, d, f). Challenge your recall with atomic structure quiz questions on filling order to ensure fluency.

  3. Quantum Numbers & Orbital Shapes -

    Quantum numbers (n, l, ml, ms) define an electron's shell, subshell, orientation, and spin, where l values 0 - 3 correspond to s, p, d, f orbitals. For example, n=2, l=1, ml=−1…+1 describes the three 2p orbitals; spin ms=±½. Reinforce understanding via chemistry trivia quiz formats that ask you to match quantum numbers to orbital diagrams.

  4. Periodic Table Trends -

    Atomic radius increases down groups and decreases across periods due to electron shielding and nuclear charge, while ionization energy and electronegativity follow the opposite trend. Visualize the periodic table quiz heat map to memorize these patterns and employ the phrase "Left → lower IE, Down → larger atom." Incorporate chemistry practice quiz questions on trends to cement these relationships.

  5. Isotopes & Average Atomic Mass -

    Isotopes share Z but differ in neutrons; for example, carbon-12 and carbon-13 average mass is calculated by (12×0.9893)+(13×0.0107)=12.011 u per NIST data. Understanding weighted averages helps in atomic mass problems on chemistry practice quizzes and periodic table quiz sections. Try sample problems to calculate average atomic mass from isotope abundance percentages.

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